Three awards were given this year at the WBO Annual Dinner.

The first award for Business Achievement was presented to Ms. T.Rose Roane, The Sisters Group-Contours Express. Their goal when they started the business was to create a successful company and loose weight. They succeeded! Five years and 638 members later, they sold their very successful business and are on to other things-- TRose is now working on a book.

The second award of the evening was for Innovative Networking and it was presented to Your Wedding Team. This "New Girls" network is made up of women business owners who are working together to provide referrals to each other and a great experience for the wedding couple. Mary Stevens, one of the founding members, accepted the award and gave a brief history of the group which has morphed beyond all initial expectations.

The Nancy Ray Award was presented next. The award is given in Memory of one WBO Founder to a women whose business has been open for less than 2 Years, is Women Owned (51%+) and has submited a Business Plan. The award went this year to Jennifer Webb, and her business webbsmarts, LLC. Jennifer founded her business in June 2007, in Dearborn MI, offering Business Research Services to Fortune 100 and 500 companies. She is very busy! She has a full time Corporate IT position, goes to UM as a part time MBA Student and speaks 5 languages to varying degrees. Within 9 months of starting her MBA program, she decided to start her own business. She looks to WBO to provide a supportive network for her as she continues on her path.

No meeting in December

Monthly Meeting, Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Speaker, Joyce Anderson, Author of "Help, I'm Knee Deep in Clutter"
Time: 6:00-8:00
Let Joyce help you begin the New Year in a more organized fashion, so you can spend time doing what's really important- Growing Your Business.
Sponsor, Carolyn Anderson-Fermann, Simply Organized Life

President Jeanne Loveland and the WBO Board would like to take this opportunity to thank our Sponsors and those who provided Door Prizes for our members.
Thanks go out to:

Sponsors:
PLATINUM:
Simply Scrumptious Catering
GOLD:
Bake Shop Wedding Cakes, Arbor Brewery/Corner Brewery, GN Communications, McNaughton Gunn, Project Innovations
SILVER:
Echo Educational Enterprises, Genesis Services Associates, Instant Imprints, Miller & Associates, National City Bank

DOOR PRIZES:
1-800-GOT-JUNK, Bellanina Spa & Institute, Contours Express, Sheila Cummings Chiropractor, Guiding Light Business Consulting, Gwen's Cake Decorating, J'Spaa, Lia Sophia Jewelry, Michigan Theater, Zingerman's Bakehouse

Additional thanks to Lori Shepard & Carolyn Anderson Fermann co-chairs of Special events for 2007, the 2007 WBO board, and all WBO member Volunteers who contributed their time.

Also a special thanks to Gilda Johnson and the staff at Lake Forest Golf Club for being such wonderful hosts for us these last few years.

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YOUR WEDDING TEAM is putting on a Wedding Shows called "Your Wedding Team & Friends"-- January 13 from noon to 4pm at Travis Point. Please spread the word about these shows to any perspective couples you know. Also, we are looking for other vendors that have services that can be of benefit to the Bride and Groom. Tables are $100 for the show. Contact Mary Stevens at life_cycles@comcast.net for more information.

NEW POWER GROUP FORMING
Any WBO member who works in the Wellness Industry and is interested in forming a Wellness Power Group please contact Sara Brintnall at 734/ 369-8893 or sarabrintnall@hotmail.com. This group will encompass all areas of the health and wellness field and as a group our goal will be to create a symbiotic relationship in which we can plan events and find business for each other and ourselves.

The OPPORTUNITES section of this newsletter provides you, the membership, with the chance to announce opportunities that support you as a business or benefit our members. See the Newsletter page for more information and feel free to send Opportunity information to hillaryh@ix.netcom.com

The Enemy called AVERAGE was the topic of our Speaker at the Annual Dinner this year. Sabrina Adams of Zoe Life Publishing helped us all to understand that we are special and have the inalienable right to be everything we ever dreamed of being.

Sabrina stated what we all should know, that as women entrepreneurs, we are each special because we have a desire to do something different. "We are extraordinary and amazing." And we are all equipt with the ability to overcome an enemy- AVERAGE- which prevents us from making the most of our lives. Looking at our hands, we repeated the mantra, "I have the power in my hands to change the world".

We are all entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." That doesn't mean it has to come easy. John Mason in his book "The Enemy Called Average, " 1990, said that a dream should be just beyond your reach; it needs to make you reach and grow. As women, we are often taught the status quo is safe. Sabrina, says that you need to get out of that comfort level. We need to "awaken the Giant in us who is willing to go to battle on our behalf."

Sabrina used the analogy of a bulldog. Know why his nose is slanted backwards? So he can breathe while he is attacking and doesn't have to let go. We have to bite into something and be committed to not letting go, no matter how difficult. Sabrina says we should ask ourselves three questions. The answers have the potential to change your life forever...
1- What kind of lifestyle do you dream about?
2- If you continue what you're doing now, will you have the kind of life or business you dream about?
3- If you could do anything you wanted and could not fail, what would it be?

Sabrina began Zoe Life Publishing in 2002 after a bout of Breast Cancer. She has also started New Life Publishing. She has two children, ages 17 and 7 years; her husband left Pfizer and now works at Zoe Life. The publishing house now has 100 books in process and 80 authors. Sabrina believes she is changing the world, one life at a time, through the written word.

Before finishing up her talk, Sabrina presented an award to Pamela Gossiaux. Pam met Sabrina at our Annual Meeting last year. In the following year, Pam followed her dream and wrote a book which was published on the 13th- Why is There a Lemon in My Fruit Salad? Congratulations to Pam and a big Thank You to Sabrina for an inspirational talk.

Reported by Hillary Handwerger, TLCI Website Design

Set your goals. If the goal is in your head and not written down, its just a wish. Write it down- make it tangible. Look at it every day, make others hold you accountable to it.

Terrie Mathison, Lia Sophia Jewelry
Cynthia Hagan, Staging Design Solutions
Geraldine Markel, Managing Your Mind Coaching & Seminars
Constance Kelly, Family Heritage
Darlene Bourne, Bourne to Travel

TLCI, Website Design, Development, Consulting, SEO, Marketing, 10% off, 662-0154
Healing in Motion, $20 discount for Myofascial Release and Exercise (Wellness Program), 913-4816
Contours Express, Women's Fitness, 1 month free, 761-8663
Cafe Marie of Ann Arbor, Breakfast/Lunch Cafe, 20% off, 662-2272
Strickfaden Photography, Complimentary Professional business portrait session $150 value. 734-996-4030
Instant Imprints, 10% discount, 734-929-0577.
J'spaa at Eastover, 10% discount, 734-827-9775
Genesis Service Associates, LLC, 10% discount off first graphic design project. Call Sue Stoker, 734-994-3900
Juice Plus, Free canister of plant-based Complete Shake with order of capsules or gummies. Contact Sara at 734-369- 8893
Rubenfeld Synergy, Complimentary Introductory Session, contact Peggy at 734-994-3719
I Sold It, 5% off on first $500, (734) 761-6187
Julie Battjes, 15% off any Arbonne purchase, (734) 765-6905
SKO Enterprises, Complimentary Website Critique, valued at $100, (734) 426-3613
1-800-Got-Junk? , 10% off any junk removal service. Please be sure to mention this discount when scheduling your appointment.734-.904-1992
Theresia Radtke, Shaklee is offering 15% off all products, 734-646-0793
Cynthia Hagan is providing 10% off a Staging & Design Solutions consultation, 734-483-9555
Geraldine Markel, PhD is offering a 20% discount on all services or products from Managing Your Mind Coaching & Seminars.